Spiders: types, body structure, reproduction. How many legs does a spider have, how many eyes does it have, how does it weave a web, how long does it live, is it an insect or not? Poisonous and non-poisonous spiders: list with names. About everyone and everything What species are spiders?

Vegetable and fauna Our planet is rich, rich in the diversity of its inhabitants. Among them there are also creatures such as spiders. It is about them that there is large number superstitions, they are feared and avoided. Who are they - animals, insects? In this text material we will answer this question.

Are spiders insects or not?

There is an assumption that spiders appeared in the Paleozoic era, in Carboniferous period. This was approximately 2.5 billion years ago.

Among the inhabitants of the fauna they are considered to be invertebrate creatures. Spiders belong to arthropods, which are characterized by the presence of articulated limbs, a hard chitinous cover, acting as exoskeleton.


Spiders are often called "arachnes"- this name comes from the suborder Orthognatha, to which it is classified. It differs from other varieties of insects in numerous ways. species diversity, specific appearance. There are about 3 tens of thousands of individuals on the entire planet.

The suborder Orthognatha includes spiders, otherwise called migalomorphs. This species is covered with hairs and is small in size. Mygalomorphs are primitive species according to the structure of the jaws - a jaw claw on one of the jaws. Mygalomorphs live in the dungeon. These include:

  • tarantula spiders belonging to the family Theraphosidae;
  • ctenises;
  • funnel spiders;
  • digger spiders.

The above species live in warm climatic latitudes.

The tarantula spider has a certain level intelligence: they cannot distinguish their relatives from others. Some individuals make excellent pets. They have a developed ability to feel the mood of the owner on an emotional level, to detect mood swings, at the same time they love to play, can protect the owner if he is in danger, and can dance to musical accompaniment.

Insects and arachnids are divided into two separate classes, which belong to phylum of animals - arthropods. They have certain differences in structure, and there are a significant number of them. The legs are one of the first differences. If an insect has 6 of them, then a spider has 8. In addition, it has chelicerae - small-sized limbs with poisonous claws, they are located next to the arthropod’s mouth.


Front of the body: insects have a movable head, which cannot be said about arachnids. They do not have a clear division into the head, there is no neck. As a rule, the head is combined with the neck, called the cephalothorax.

Eyes. Insects have two of them, the structure of their visual organs is very complex. Arachnids have 8 eyes, some species have 6, and representatives with 2 eyes are rare.

So the spider is not an insect. It would be a mistake if it is confused with a representative of insects. In order to prove that an individual is an animal, it is enough to count the number of legs; arachnids have singular eyes with lenses; they do not have antennas characteristic of insects.

According to scientists, spider is the oldest animal. Scientists have discovered a web located in a piece of amber stone, which today is 100 million years old.

Is a spider a predator or a herbivore?

Arachnids hunt insects and regulate their numbers. Because some of the insects that make up the spider's food chain are beneficial, it is difficult to say whether it is beneficial or harmful to humans.


Predators eat their prey using their jaws, chewing the food thoroughly. As for the peaceful inhabitants of the planet, their main diet is nectar, which they obtain with the help of their proboscis.

There are spiders that hunt their own kind. They live in our homes, destroying their own relatives and insects over the winter. In difficult times they can kill their own children.

Arachnids have differences in diet.

  • On initial stage, as soon as the prey is caught, it injects gastric juice,
  • Waits for some time until the soft tissues soften,
  • Absorbs nutrients through a narrow mouth that does not have teeth, lips, or the usual mechanisms of the oral apparatus.

Almost all individuals are these are predators. There is only one peaceful inhabitant whose diet consists of plants - Bagheera Kipling's spider.

In the abdomen of the arachnid there is a heart that expels hemolymph, “book lungs”, digestive gland, malpighian vessels, gonads and weaving apparatus, so it looks like an animal.

The head of all insects is decorated with antennae; arachnids do not have antennae on the cephalothorax.


Only the spider weaves a web; it amazes with its beauty and difference. It has 6 spider warts, through which a stream of adhesive suspension is released, after a few seconds the glue hardens without losing its stickiness. A spider web is a trap for insects that lack the ability to create defensive laces.

Half of the web's components are fibrin protein.

The individual is distinguished by its ability to create a web from several substances: one is sticky, the other is not. It is along these threads, which do not stick, that the individual moves. Even if it ends up in sticky threads, it will not be able to get entangled in them - the fatty coating will prevent this from happening.

Arachnids include scorpions and ticks.

Tarantula is a nocturnal predator. If disturbed, it can bite a person. The pain of the bite resembles that of a wasp; the affected area becomes inflamed, causing general poisoning of the body.

The most dangerous spider living in the steppe is karakurt. It is small in size and has a black color, with 13 red dots on its back. The greatest danger is the female karakurt - a bite leads to severe poisoning and can be fatal. The female karakurt is bloodthirsty and cruel; after mating, she eats the male, for which she is called the “black widow.”

Irreparable harm to the arachnid population is caused by people who use agriculture poisonous substances for insects. Insecticides destroy entire populations of insects and spiders.

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Is a spider an animal or an insect?

  1. The author of the question, apparently, considers only warm-blooded animals, or even only mammals? But this is so, a remark “by the way.”
    Spiders are arachnid arthropods. Although insects are also classified as arthropods ( hallmark groups - 3 pairs of limbs), and arachnids (4 pairs of limbs), and crustaceans, they are also decapods (5 pairs of limbs).
  2. An animal, but not an insect.
  3. A spider can be easily distinguished from an insect: to do this, just count the number of legs: a spider has 4 pairs of legs, and an insect has 3 pairs. Also, one of the main differences is that insects have compound eyes, while a spider has singular eyes with lenses. In addition, unlike insects, spiders do not have antennae.
    Although they also have many similarities. Both have an external skeleton (exoskeleton). The hard part of the body is on outside, while in mammals the skeleton is located inside the body. Their heart is located in the back. Breathing is done through the trachea or book lungs.
    oxygen transports the hemocyanin protein, rather than the protein hemoglobin, as in mammals.
    In 1758-59, Carolus Linnaeus published the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, in which he classified animals. Since then, biologists have improved systematic classification animal world. According to this classification, there are separate cells, at the base of which there are animals, and at the top there are people with very complex systems. With the help of DNA analysis, the location of each animal is even more precise than before. This classification is called taxonomical classification of the animal world.
    It consists of several divisions. Each division is called a type.
    The phylum Arthropoda consists of animals with an external skeleton (exoskeleton) that protects the body and connects the appendages. Their body consists of 2 parts. The first part is the cephalothorax, and the second part is the abdomen. These parts contain appendages that serve specific purposes: walking, jumping, eating and other actions. The phylum Arthropoda is divided into 5 main classes.
    Class
    1. Crustacea (Lobsters, crabs)
    2. Arachnida (spiders)
    3. Diplopoda (centipedes)
    4. Chilopoda (Centipedes (centipedes))
    5. Insecta (flies)
    Accordingly, the spider is placed in the phylum Arthropoda, class Arachnida, order Araneae.
  4. A spider is an arachnid, not an insect.
    And animals are a kingdom that unites insects, spiders, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, protozoa, coelenterates, echinoderms and a bunch of other crap.

  5. Insect - Spiders (lat. Araneae, Aranei) order of arthropods, second in number famous representatives in the class of arachnids: about 42 thousand modern and about 1.1 thousand fossil species.
  6. From a scientific point of view, the large illustrated encyclopedia of intelligence introduces the initially illiterate opposition between animals and insects. The fact is that animals are a kingdom that is divided into many types and classes. There is no independent kingdom “insects” and those creatures that are usually called “insects” belong to the corresponding class in the kingdom “animals”.
    Arthropods are a phylum that includes both arachnids and insects, which are distinct classes.

    In other words, the chain looks like this:

    Kingdom - animals;
    Phylum - Arthropods;
    Class - Arachnids.

  7. Insects (like spiders) are also animals, that is, representatives of the Animal Kingdom, which should be distinguished from representatives of the Plant Kingdom. All spiders are included in the class Arachnida, subphylum Chelicerae, and phylum Arthropods. Neither spider is an insect that forms another class of the tracheal subphylum of the same phylum arthropod.
  8. Spiders belong to a separate group:

    Domain: Eukaryotes
    Kingdom: Animals
    Subkingdom: Eumetazoans
    Type: Arthropods
    Subtype: Chelicerates
    Class: Arachnids
    Squad: Spiders

    After all, spiders are animals!


  9. This separate class- arachnids. Not an insect! Insects have 6 legs.
  10. They're just arachnids.
    But to say specifically animals - the kingdom and insects - is a class is somehow stupid. A spider is an animal belonging to the arachnid class. Insects are also animals
  11. A spider is not an insect because all insects have 6 legs, but a spider has 8 legs. Spiders are NOT insects or animals. Spiders are arachnids!
  12. damn it's the size of an ant)) it's all arachnids
  13. spider - arthropod (type), arachnid (class).
    insects are also a class. parallel to arachnids.
    i.e., both arachnids and insects in one type - arthropods.
    but the classes are different - spiders are arachnids, but not insects.
  14. A spider is not an insect. The spider belongs to a separate group. These are arachnids.
  15. insect of course)
  16. A spider is an animal, but not an insect. A spider has 8 legs, and insects have 6. But both spiders and insects are animals.
  17. both animal and insect
  18. insect
  19. spider is an arachnid

Attention, TODAY only!

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Is a spider an insect or not, and why?

Looking at the system of the living world, we can see that historically there have been 5 kingdoms: animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and viruses. Spiders belong to the animal kingdom. An interesting question: is a spider an insect or an animal that does not belong to the same class?

Common signs of insects and spiders

Insects and spiders belong to the same phylum of arthropods. Arthropods have the following external signs:

  1. The body is divided into sections.
  2. The limbs are articulated and are the main organs of movement. They are movably connected to each other. Animals are capable of a variety of movements.
  3. The chitinous cover protects the body of the arthropod; it also covers the limbs. It protects against mechanical damage, does not allow water to pass through (prevents evaporation in terrestrial arthropods, prevents water from entering the body in aquatic organisms), and also serves as an exoskeleton (muscles are attached to it).
  4. Presence of shedding. Due to the fact that the chitinous cover does not stretch.

What class do spiders belong to?

The answer to the question: “Is a spider an insect?” taxonomy gives. What class do spiders belong to? Is a spider an insect or not?

Despite the presence common features, spiders and insects previously belonged to different classes: arachnids (Arachnida) and insects (Insecta). In modern taxonomy, two classes of insects have been identified: cryptomaxillary and open-jawed, combined into one superclass - six-legged (Hexapoda). The class Arachnida stands apart. Is a spider an insect? The answer is no. However, how is it different from insects?

Signs of insects

The insect's body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen. The head consists of five fused segments. There are antennas on the head with receptors for touch and smell. The eyes are compounded, that is, they consist of many simple ocelli. There are mouthparts for chewing food.

The chest includes segments: anterior, middle and posterior. Each segment carries a pair of motor limbs. In addition, the middle and hind ones each include a pair of wings: chitinized elytra and, in fact, wings. The abdomen also consists of segments, on the sides of which paired respiratory openings open.

Signs of arachnids

Signs characteristic only of arachnids show how different spiders are from insects. They answer the question: is a spider an insect or not?

The spider's body is divided into the cephalothorax and abdomen. That is, there is no jumper between the head and chest; they are fused during evolution. And in such an arachnid as the haymaker, even the cephalothorax is fused with the abdomen. Haymakers often settle in human houses. They have long legs, however, they should be distinguished from the long-legged spider, whose cephalothorax and abdomen are separate.

The absence of antennae distinguishes spiders from insects. But there are chelicerae - limbs bearing claws. They serve to inject poison into the victim. The chelicerae of males are noticeably longer than those of females. Pedipalps are a sign of spiders. They look like a fifth pair of legs. However, spiders do not rely on it; they use it to capture prey.

Spiders' eyes are not compounded. They have from one to six pairs of eyes. Most often 8. However, vision is very poor. They distinguish objects at distances of up to 30 centimeters.

Spiders do not chew their prey. They have a narrow mouth opening with which they suck in already digested liquid. To do this, they first inject into the victim, in addition to poison, digestive juice. They wait for some time until the food is digested. They will suck up the finished liquid and can add digestive enzymes to it again. This method of digestion is called extraintestinal.

The cephalothorax consists of six fused segments, each bearing a pair of limbs: chelicerae, pedipalps and walking limbs. Spiders have eight legs and no wings.

The arachnoid glands are located in the lower part of the abdomen. Only spiders weave the web needed for hunting. The vast majority of spiders are predators.

The respiratory organs are not only the trachea, but also the leaf-shaped lungs. The latter are depressions in the abdomen. Their walls form many thin plates. Through them, gases diffuse into the hemolymph. The lungs open outwards with breathing holes.

Convergent traits of spiders and insects

Scientists also once decided the question of whether a spider was an insect or not. They were faced with the task of finding out the origin of some organs found in both spiders and insects.

Malpighian vessels are excretory organs that characterize both spiders and insects. However, it is believed that during evolution these organs developed independently of each other, that this is a convergent similarity. Malpighian vessels are numerous tubes. They blindly end in the body cavity of the arthropod, and exit through a hole into the intestine. Unnecessary substances are filtered into tubes from the hemolymph and released into the environment.

The presence of a tracheal respiratory system in spiders and insects is also considered convergence. Thus, the decision of convergent similarity only supported the inclusion of spiders and insects in different classes.

Schoolchildren and biology lovers ask the question: “Is a spider an insect or not?” Indeed, their small size and some similarity in structure make them similar to them. However, there are enough differences to classify spiders into a different class.

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Not only inquisitive schoolchildren, but also many adults are interested in the question: is a spider an insect or not? Indeed, at first glance it may seem that the answer is obvious, and spiders are one of the types of insects, but this is not so. They belong to a separate class of arachnids, because they have many differences with insects.

Spiders appeared on our planet a very long time ago, about 400 million years ago. It is believed that they descended from a crab-shaped ancestor. Insects appeared almost 100 million years later and created a separate class. Today, about 40 thousand species of arachnids live on earth. If we look at the anatomy of these creatures in detail, then questions like “Is a spider an insect or not?” should not arise. Everyone knows that insects have six legs, but arachnids have eight, and they also have eight eyes, only some species have six or two. These creatures do not have teeth, but they have hook-shaped jaws with special channels designed to penetrate the poison into the body of the victim.

Doubts about whether a spider is an insect or not will immediately disappear if you consider how it feeds. While praying mantises eat captured flies, arachnids cannot do this because they have extraintestinal digestion. They inject digestive enzymes into the victim, which turn the insect into soup, and the spiders can only suck out the contents of the shell.

Many creatures know how to spin a web, but for them it will not be as strong and elastic as the trap for victims that the spider prepares. Reproduction also forces these creatures to weave special cocoons to preserve clutches of eggs and small spiders. If you compare a web with steel, the first will be five times stronger than the second, and the threads as thick as a pencil cannot be broken by a plane crashing into the network.

It is not clear why many people ponder the question of whether a spider is an insect or not: there are a significant number of differences between the two classes. The body of these creatures is divided not into three, but only into two sections: the abdomen and the cephalothorax. They make webs from fluid secreted from warts located at the end of the belly. From this material, spiders build houses for themselves, make flying carpets on which they travel long distances, weave cocoons for eggs, and hunt insects with nets.

These creatures move quite nimbly through their webs, while mosquitoes, flies and other unfortunate creatures simply stick to it. The fact is that spiders weave sticky and non-sticky threads, the former are needed to catch prey, and they move along the latter. Even if they accidentally fall on the sticky part, they will not get confused, since their body is coated with fat.

Modern science has already given an exact answer to the question: “Is a spider an insect or not?”, identifying these creatures as a separate class. In central Russia there are no arachnids that are dangerous to human life, although it is necessary to behave carefully with them. A spider will never attack first; it only defends itself or bites when frightened. A bite can only be accompanied by a burning sensation, severe pain and fever. But there is also dangerous representatives This species: the most famous are the tarantula and karakurt. Their bite causes general poisoning of the body, which sometimes leads to death.

Not only inquisitive schoolchildren, but also many adults are interested in the question: is a spider an insect or not? Indeed, at first glance it may seem that the answer is extremely clear, and spiders are one of the types of insects, but this is not so. They belong to a separate class of arachnids, because they have many differences with insects.

Spiders appeared on our planet a very long time ago, about 400 million years ago. It is believed that they descended from a crab-shaped ancestor. Insects appeared almost 100 million years later and created a separate class. Currently, about 40 thousand species of arachnids live on earth. If you look at the anatomy of these creatures in detail, then questions like “Is a spider an insect or not?” should not appear. Everyone understands that insects have 6 legs, but arachnids have eight, and they also have eight eyes, only some species have 6 or two. These creatures do not have teeth, but they have hook-shaped jaws with special channels created to penetrate the poison into the body of the victim.

Doubts about whether a spider is an insect or not will immediately disappear if you see how it feeds. If mantises eat caught flies, arachnids cannot do this, since they have extraintestinal digestion. They inject digestive enzymes into the victim, which turn the insect into soup, and the spiders can only suck out the contents of the shell.

Many creatures can spin a web, but theirs will not be as strong and elastic as the trap for victims that a spider prepares. Reproduction also forces these creatures to weave special cocoons to preserve a clutch of eggs and small spiders. If you compare the net with steel, then the first one will be 5 times stronger than the second, and a thread the width of a pencil will not be able to break through an airplane crashing into the net.

It is not clear why many people ponder the question of whether a spider is an insect or not: there are a significant number of differences between these two classes. The body of these creatures is divided not into three, but only into two sections: the abdomen and the cephalothorax. They make a net from water secreted from warts located at the end of the belly. From this material, spiders build houses for themselves, make flying carpets on which they travel great distances, weave cocoons for eggs, and hunt insects with nets.

These creatures move quite quickly through their networks, while mosquitoes, flies and other unfortunate creatures simply stick to it. The fact is that spiders weave sticky and non-sticky threads, the former are necessary for catching prey, and they move along the latter. Even if they happen to fall on the sticky part, they will not get confused, since their body is coated with fat.

Modern science has already given a clear answer to the question: “Is a spider an insect or not?”, separating these creatures into a separate class. In central Russia there are no arachnids that are unsafe for human life, although you need to be careful with them. A spider will never attack first; it only defends itself or bites when scared. A bite can only be accompanied by a burning sensation, severe pain and an increase in temperature. But there are also dangerous representatives of this species: the tarantula and karakurt are the most famous. Their bite causes general poisoning of the body, which from time to time leads to a fatal ending.

From a scientific point of view, it is believed that spiders are animals that belong to the phylum of arthropods and the class of arachnids. On the planet you can find about 42 thousand species of spiders, including 1.1 thousand fossils. Spiders inhabit almost every corner globe. They can be found in conditions where no living creature will not be able to live. This type of predator feeds on insects, small animal species, and amphibians. Among the many varieties there are spiders that feed on the green parts of plants. The science that studies the life of spiders is called arachnology.

Spiders: description

These small living creatures can be found everywhere, both in natural conditions, and in a person’s home, in basements, attics, and in various outbuildings. Often, due to not large sizes Spiders are called insects, but if you imagine that in tropical conditions there are representatives of arachnids up to 35 cm in size, then this is a mistake.

In fact, to be precise, spiders and insects are animals that belong to the phylum arthropods. They differ only in classes and units. The answer to the question of what type of living creatures spiders belong to is fundamentally incorrect, since we can safely say that spiders are animals that represent a certain class.

To make it clear! Many people are accustomed to the fact that all kinds of bugs are insects, and mammals are animals, which leads to some problems in determining these factors. Since the spider is distinguished by its vital functions, they were assigned to a separate class. The fact that a spider is not an insect is certain.

The fact that spiders are defined in a separate class "arachnids" should not raise any questions. All animals of this class have a characteristic feature - their body is divided into 2 parts: the abdomen and the cephalothorax.

There is another difference that immediately catches your eye - the presence of 8 legs, instead of 6. Arachnids also have chelicerae, which are located in front of the cephalothorax, as well as pelipalps, similar to tentacles. As a rule, they are located on the sides, differ in size from the front legs, but perform the same functions: with their help the spider holds its prey and moves.

Important to know! Spiders belong to the class “arachnids” and are a species of arthropods.

Spiders stand apart because they have a number of characteristic differences, not characteristic of other species of animals or insects in the concept that people have. These differences come down to certain forms of life activity, such as reproduction, nutrition, size, etc. These differences are also characteristic of other representatives of this family, depending on the species or subspecies.

TO characteristic features spiders should be classified as:

  • The body consists of two parts: the abdomen, various shapes, depending on the species and cephalothorax.
  • Characterized by the presence of 4 pairs of legs, 2 chelicerae and pelipalps.
  • Spiders don't have whiskers.
  • Their peculiarity is the weaving of webs for various purposes, and the pattern of the web can be unique.
  • Spiders have poisonous glands, the poison of which paralyzes the victim.
  • Spiders lead a solitary lifestyle. Most females, after fertilization, eat their chosen ones.

Arachnids can be found in almost all corners of our planet. There are also exotic species that do not pose a danger to humans and are kept as pets.

Science also knows species that are dangerous to humans, since their bite can be fatal. As a rule, similar species inhabit the tropics and other, hotter areas, such as the desert, for example. In our area, poisonous spiders are extremely rare. The main types of spiders are real orderlies who fight every day with many insects, sometimes dangerous to humans. Naturally, the appearance of spiders in a person’s home is perceived extremely negatively by family members. This negative reaction is reinforced by the terrifying appearance spiders, but in fact, most of the species are practically harmless to others.

SO DIFFERENT SPIDERS

A big mistake is made by those who call spiders insects.In fact, spiders belong to the order of arthropods of the phylum Arthropoda. The main difference between spiders and insects is the number of legs. Insects usually have only 6 of them, while spiders have as many as 8 legs. In general, of course, they are close relatives, because both spiders and insects belong to the phylum arthropods.

There are about 41,000 species of spiders in nature!

The spider's body consists of two parts connected by a stalk: the cephalothorax and abdomen (opisthosoma).

On the cephalothorax there is an oral apparatus consisting of chelicerae, lower lip and chewing blades, pedipalps and four pairs of legs. All spiders have arachnoid warts on their abdomen, in most cases there are three pairs of them.

The abdomen generally has an oval shape, less often round, angular, and sometimes has a very elongated, worm-shaped shape.

Spiders have 8 or 6 eyes, very rarely some species have 2 eyes.

The cephalothorax contains two nerve ganglia, which form many brain nerves and they diverge from the brain to the legs, eyes and other organs of the spider. The brain can occupy from 20% to 30% of the volume of the cephalothorax.

The only spider for which plant food is the jumping spider, which lives on acacia trees (it is this tree that it feeds on). In generalVegetarian spiders do not exist; they are all predators. They usually feed on their relatives - insects.

Having caught prey with the help of a web, the spider kills it with poison and injects digestive juices into it. After some time (usually several hours), the spider sucks out the resulting nutrient solution.

The web is a protein mass secreted by special glands of the spider. At the moment of release, the web is a liquid mass that quickly hardens in air, forming threads. Spider web is a very durable material; in its stability it surpasses even steel of equal thickness. The main components of the web are proteins, one of which is responsible for strength, and the second for elasticity. Each thread of the web is coated with a special adhesive substance that holds the prey in case it tries to escape.

Spider is capable of reproduction various types threads, so not all webs are the same. For different types different glands are responsible for the threads. The main type of web is the one along which the spider descends to any place, and along which it returns to its original position. Young spiders can create such a web, which they use as a parachute; the wind picks it up and carries the spider in the desired direction.

Spiders' nests are also built from cobwebs.

In a single species of spider, all types of glands are not found at the same time.

Spiders often use spider silk repeatedly, eating fishing threads damaged by rain, wind or insects. It is digested with the help of special enzymes.

Male spiders tend to be significantly fewer females, and their coloring is different.Many females eat males after fertilization.

Most species of spiders bite people only in defense, and few species can cause more harm than a mosquito or bee.

The science that studies spiders is called arachnology. And the fear of spiders is arachnophobia.

1. The largest spider

Theraphosa Blonda or Goliath tarantula is the most big spider in the world. Capable of huntingfrogs, toads, lizards, mice and even small snakes.

It was first described by the French entomologist Latreille in 1804. Distributed in tropical forests South America. Lives in deep burrows, entrance towhich are lined with cobwebs.

The size of the body of the female Theraphosis Blonda reaches 90 mm, and the male - 85 mm, with the legs spread, the dimensions of Theraphosis Blondareach up to 25 centimeters. The size of the dorsal shield is the same in both length and width. The body is dark browncolor. The legs are covered with a mass of reddish-brown hairs.

Most major representative this species was discovered in Venezuela in 1965: the span of its paws reached 28 centimeters(according to the Guinness Book of Records).

In Cambodia, fried tarantula spiders are considered a delicacy. Before preparing the tarantula, its stinging hairs are removed.

2. The smallest spider- Patu digua reaches only 0.37 mm.

3 . The most poisonous spider

Brazilian wandering spider, considered the most poisonous in the world.Sometimes it is also called banana spider or a Brazilian hunter.This spider has the largest venom glands, they reach 10 millimeters in length. The amount of one portion of poison is enough to kill 225 mice. Hundreds of accidents involving spider bites are reported every year.Fortunately, there is an antidote for its poison.

In South In America, these spiders are usually found in houses, hiding in boots, hats and other clothing, and if they are disturbed, they bite. In addition to the fact that they have the most dangerous poison, they also differ from other spiders in their increased aggressiveness and speed of movement.

These spiders got their main name becausethat they do not sit still and do not weave webs, but are in constant movement, moving from place to place.Young individuals eat fruit flies and small crickets. Adults eat crickets and other large insects, andalso small lizards and mice.

Wandering Spider entered into the Guinness Book of Records.

4. The most famous spider - Black Widow.

Black Widow Spider, a common name for any of several long-legged, smooth-bodied spiders found in the Tropics,in the southern United States, and also found in northern Canada.They spin simple webs in places protected from the sun, often in crevices. Adult female has a glossy black color (hence the name Black), body diameter is approximately 1 cm, legs length is up to 5 cm.the dorsal side of the abdomen has a characteristic red mark,similar to an hourglass. The female is very poisonous spider

Males are less common and are harmless. Males have four pairs of red dots located along thesides of the abdomen. After mating, the female devours the male, hence the name “black widow”.

The black widow spider is dangerous to humans - it produces a neurotoxin that causes severe pain, muscle cramps and evenparalysis. Their bites are very dangerous, butAntidotes have long been created that allow you to recover from poison in a few days. But insectsneurotoxins paralyze so quickly that the spider often starts eating when the victim, although not moving, is still alive.

By the way, most species of “black widow” behave rather timidly, preferring flight to attack. Disturbed spideroften pretends to be dead, with its paws tucked in, and runs away only if it considers that the danger has passed. Per person"black widows" attack only if they are teased or frightened, and the spider itself is not aggressive and attacks people only whencase of their defense.

5. Karakurt

Karakurt - close relative Black widow, these spiders belong to the same speciesLatrodectus, and are similar in appearance.

In the photo: a young female karakurt. With age, the spots on the abdomen first become white, and thencompletely disappear. Photo taken in Russia, Astrakhan region

Karakurt, unlike the Black Widow, is quite common in steppe zone Central Asia, and alsoin the Caucasus and Crimea. Karakurt is a small spider, its length usually does not exceed twenty millimeters (this is the maximumthe length of females, males do not exceed seven millimeters in length).

The habitat for karakurts is virgin lands, wastelands, banks of irrigation canals, and so on. The female findsmakes a hole in the soil and makes a den there. Very often karakurts settle in rodent burrows. Before entering the lair, the femalestretches a catchy, incorrectly woven web.

Karakurt eggs spend the night in cocoons previously suspended in the lair. In April, young spiders are selected forsurface and scatter in the wind along with the cobwebs.

Karakurt is a prolific spider,outbreaks occur every ten to twelve years mass reproduction. Adults are the most poisonousfemales. Let us recall that the poison of karakurt is fifteen times stronger than poison rattlesnake.

After a bite, a small spot remains on the body, which quickly disappears. Within fifteen minutes sharppain in the abdomen, lower back and chest, then numbness in the legs. The patient becomes lethargic and cannot sleep due to severe pain.

Recovery occurs in about three weeks, or even more.Most effectiveAntikarakurt serum is considered a medicine.

It does not attack animals or humans; it can bite only if someone literally steps on it.

6. Tarantula

Tarantula, a spider that is very widespread in America and southern Europe, whose bite is not dangerous.Tarantulas live in deep(about 50 centimeters deep) minks. At night they hunt insects.

The tarantula's body length is about three centimeters.

They feed on insects and a variety of small animals. A large species of this group can bite people, suchthe bites are often painful but not fatal.

7. The strangest spiders- "horns".

The belly of these spiders is amazingbright yellow, white and black colors. Six strong spines, long and smooth, emanate from the border of the abdomen.The female's abdomen is wide, flattened, angular, with six spines, two of which are very long. Probably the spikes are needed forprotection from predators. Bright yellow or red stripes run across the abdomen. Spider warts are raised. Malesmall, without noticeable spines.

Size: female - up to 10 mm (body width - up to 20 mm), male - up to 4 mm.

Habitat: forest edges and gardensIndia and Southeast Asia, Australia.

Horned spiders weave excellent webs and make a trap loop for the victim. Their webs are usually woven at a distance of two metersfrom the ground. Their victims are most often small insects. Interestingly, if these spiders live in a community, thenThey share the caught prey regardless of whose net it fell into.

A distinctive feature of these spiders is their bright color and spines, which are needed to save them from other predators.

8. Most dangerous for children- Sydney leukoparachnoid spider.

It belongs to the most dangerous spiders in the world, but, fortunately, they live very far from Russia - in Australia.They weave (as can be seen from theirnames) watering-like or pipe-like web and live in a burrow up to 40 cm deep. They are very aggressive and alwaysready to attack. Their massive fangs can even bite through children's nails. Unfortunately, adult males leavetheir burrows and begin to travel, often “visiting” human dwellings, especially after a summer rainstorm. So, when traveling around Australia, be careful and careful - thesespiders cannot climb into a bed or table along a smooth metal or wooden leg, but they can “climb” intoclothes, shoes or towels thrown on the floor.

9. Spiders are spider hunters- are called "wolf spiders".

Wolf spider, a common name for any group of spiders that have a ground dwelling and hunt spiders. Wolf spidersare among the most common and visible spiders.

There are more than 2000 species of wolf spiders. These are brownish spiders that run (prowl) back and forth in whole “flocks”, like real wolves. This is quite unusual among spiders, as most spiders can't stand each other.

Probably because they often gather in packs and are brownish in color, they are given the name wolf spiders. In EuropeThere are several hundred species of wolf spiders. Most wolf spiders have strongbodies and long legs. Their bodies are low to the base for easy yaw. Wolf spider species are similar ingeneral shape, but their bodies vary in size, ranging from 2 mm to 40 mm in length. They typically have two verylarge eyes in the middle of their heads.

Wolf spiders have very good eyesight,which they need to hunt during the day.Wolf spiders generally determinelocate their prey by sight, but can also use contact to determine the nature of the prey. Theyuse their front legs to grab prey, then bite and crush it with strong fangs.

Wolf spiders are very common in any region of Russia. They can winter infield, prefer sparse vegetation. IN summer months leave the field to the side of the road, although the vegetation there is morethicker than in the field. This is probably due to low humidity and high temperature in the field in the summer.

The female wolf spider lays her eggs in a large sac that can be almost as big as her own body.

She attaches the egg sac to her body and wears it until the eggs hatch. Then she tears the bag and takes itinto the burrow, where the offspring remain for another week. Many female wolf spiders are very good mothers: theylay their eggs in a cocoon, which they carry with them almost until the young hatch. Some species have young spidersclimb onto the mother's back and travel in this way for one to two weeks.

Wild animals

Over 1 thousand species of spiders live in Russia. Some are quite often found in residential premises and their proximity does not pose a threat, others can only be seen in wildlife, but it is advisable to avoid contact with them. The full list of them is quite large, and therefore today we will focus only on a few - we will talk about those who really deserve attention. What are the most famous and dangerous spiders in Russia?

Russia is home to both safe spiders and those that are best avoided

Safe types

It should be noted right away that absolutely all spiders are poisonous, but only a few will be dangerous to human health - arthropods with highly toxic poison. In this chapter we will look at those whose venom is fatal exclusively to insects.

House spiders

These are perhaps the most famous and most common spiders living in Russia. They got their name because they love to be neighbors with people - they can be found in a private house, in a city apartment, and in outbuildings. This spider usually weaves a funnel-shaped web in dark corners under the ceiling or in more secluded places, for example, somewhere behind a closet. The owner himself usually sits in the center of the fishing net and patiently waits for the prey to fall into it. And as soon as the victim is in the web, the spider runs up to her with lightning speed and immediately straightens out.

You can recognize a house spider by the following signs:

  • the integument is yellowish-gray or brownish-gray;
  • on the back there are usually brown spots arranged in a pattern;
  • the legs are dark brown, their length is approximately twice as long as the body;
  • The size of females is about 12 mm, the male is no more than 10 mm.

Knitting spiders

There are quite a few species of crocheters, and these spiders are found in Russia more often than others. They are distributed throughout the country and live exclusively in natural conditions. Their trapping nets are circular in shape and have very large meshes. Because of them, at first glance, it may seem that such a web is not suitable for hunting. However, this is not true. The net is designed for a specific victim, namely long-legged mosquitoes, which are a favorite delicacy for knitters.

The knitting spider has the following description:

  • elongated body;
  • legs are long;
  • chelicerae are covered with numerous projections;
  • Females are usually about 10 mm in size, males are somewhat smaller.

This is interesting! When in danger, the knitting spider extends its legs along its body and becomes like a tiny straw. If you disturb him, he will immediately throw himself down like a stone and try to hide!

Who should you be wary of?

Other arachnids also live on the territory of Russia - their venom is very toxic and delay after a bite is fraught with serious health consequences. And in order to protect yourself and know in what cases you should immediately contact medical care, it is advisable to know such representatives of the spider kingdom “by sight.”

Cross spiders

The diet of spiders of this species includes mainly flying insects: hornets, flies, butterflies, mosquitoes, bumblebees and bees. Hunting occurs with the help of a web. The crossfish immobilizes caught prey with poison, entangles it in a web and injects digestive juices into the wound. After some time, it eats the partially digested contents of its victim. If the spider is at the moment not hungry, he hangs the prey on the edge of the fishing net in reserve.

These spiders are distributed throughout the area central Russia. They are often found in spruce, beech and pine forests, as well as in raised bogs, less often in gardens, arable lands and meadows.

  • females approximately twice larger than males with body dimensions of about 20-25 mm;
  • the main color depends on the ambient lighting;
  • the body is covered with a layer of waxy substance necessary to prevent moisture evaporation;
  • The cephalothorax is covered with a dense “shield”, on the front of which there are 4 pairs of eyes.

As a result of a bite of a cross, an infection may be introduced into the wound, so you should seek medical help in mandatory and as soon as possible.

Hyracantidae

Chiracantids belonging to the species Cheiracanthium punctorium are dangerous for humans. They can be found in grass and bushes. These creatures have won the title of the most poisonous spiders middle zone Russia.

This is interesting! Some species of chiracandids are characterized by matrifagy - hatched spiderlings eat the female who guards them!

Chiracantids do not weave trapping nets, as they are wandering hunters. They are active exclusively at night. They react to the prey tactilely - when the insect touches the spider’s legs, it attacks it with one sharp jump. The diet usually includes leafhoppers, caterpillars, moths, aphids, grasshoppers and some types of mites.

Description:

  • the covers are colored yellow, light brown, sometimes greenish;
  • body size ranges from 5 to 15 mm;
  • abdomen oval, slightly pointed at the end;
  • the front pair of legs are approximately twice as long as the body.

After a bite from a Hyracantida spider, intense burning pain occurs in the affected area, which soon spreads over almost the entire corresponding segment of the limb. In this case, there is no itching or “locking” of the muscles. After a few minutes, the lymph nodes located on the path from the bite site begin to “ache” and swell. A little later, swelling develops in the affected area and mobility is impaired. Sometimes there is difficulty breathing. The pain goes away after about 10-20 hours, local symptoms - after 1-2 days.

Karakurt

This is the most poisonous spider living in Russia. Belongs to the genus. Its body is painted black and has 13 red spots with a white border. Adults no longer have spots - their body is usually painted uniformly in a glossy black color. The body size of a female can be from 10 to 20 mm, males are much smaller - their size usually does not exceed 7 mm.

Poisonous spiders such as karakurts are found in the following regions of Russia:

  • Saratovskaya;
  • Kurganskaya;
  • Orenburgskaya;
  • Rostovskaya;
  • Novosibirsk;
  • Volgogradskaya.

Despite the fact that karakurts are considered the most dangerous spiders Russia, they do not attack a person without reason, but bite solely for the purpose of self-defense. After a bite, the poison acts immediately and within a quarter of an hour the pain spreads throughout the body. Particularly severe pain occurs in the abdomen, chest and lower back. At the same time, a strong tension in the abdominal muscles is felt. The victim may experience shortness of breath, tremors, increased heartbeat, increased pulse rate, headache, nausea, dizziness, pallor or hyperemia of the skin.

In Russia, antikarakurt serum is used to treat the consequences of the bite of these poisonous spiders.

In hot years, karakurts are also found in the northern regions, for example, in the Moscow region; sometimes they rise to much more high latitudes where they can live until winter

South Russian tarantula

Another quite famous and at the same time the most big spider in Russia is . The size of females reaches 3 cm, males - 2.5 cm. Their integument is gray, brown, brown or red, usually with a pattern on the upper side of the abdomen. The body is densely covered with short hairs.

These spiders prefer a dry climate and live mainly in forest-steppe, steppe, semi-desert and desert zones. The South Russian tarantula digs a vertical hole for itself, about 40 cm deep, and lines its inner walls with a layer of its own web. Hunts from a hole, focusing on the shadow of an insect passing by. When prey is nearby, it jumps out from its hiding place and immediately bites the victim.

Besides southern regions were seen in large quantities in such regions of Russia as:

  • Saratovskaya;
  • Astrakhan;
  • Kursk;
  • Belgorodskaya;
  • Lipetskaya;
  • Orlovskaya;
  • Tambovskaya.

As for their toxicity, South Russian tarantulas are not particularly dangerous. After a bite, there is usually a slight swelling in the affected area. Sometimes the skin in this area becomes yellow and remains this color for two months. Fatal outcome the venom of these spiders does not cause venom in humans, but still certain problems health problems may be observed.

Like the karakurt, the South Russian tarantula does not attack itself, but attacks only when a threat arises. However, in any case, it is extremely undesirable to provoke it - being in an aggressive state, this spider is able to jump about 15 cm in height and plunge its chelicerae into the enemy’s body with lightning speed.

Exactly South Russian tarantula chosen by many exotic fans. These spiders from the south of Russia are quite unpretentious in keeping, and all that is required is a vertical terrarium, high bedding, food and clean water. But be careful with it and do not provoke it into aggression; remember that the tarantula will definitely defend itself and its home.